Contender for Best MCU Movie Yet

Captain Marvel takes the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a bold, fearless new direction. The film surpasses every expectation I had for story, acting, and pure entertainment value. It’s a roaring adventure, knockdown funny, and threads together multiple storylines brilliantly. There are EPIC reveals in Captain Marvel. Avoid spoilers at all cost. Captain Marvel honestly challenges for the best film in the MCU.

On the planet Hala, the Kree Starforce protects the universe from the Skrulls. Shapeshifters, the Skrulls can mimic any organism down to their DNA. They infiltrate planets and cause chaos. The Starforce leader (Jude Law) keeps his rowdy team in check. His most problematic soldier (Brie Larson) struggles to quell her emotions during battle. She has fleeting visions of a strange place. When a critical mission goes awry, the raw recruit is forced to the world of her dreams. She fights the Skrull threat with an unlikely human agent (Samuel L. Jackson), who is stunned by the magnitude of the interstellar conflict.

Captain Marvel is a fantastic mystery at its core. Even those with granular knowledge of the comics will be pleasantly surprised by the plot. Directors/screenwriters Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck keep the twists coming. The result is a film that constantly engages. There isn’t a dull second in Captain Marvel. Events we’ve seen in the previous MCU films are given new meaning here. These bowtie moments are exceedingly clever.

Brie Larson is superb. An Oscar winning dramatic actress, she shows her fantastic range with a physical performance. Captain Marvel will kick your ass into the ground. She pummels baddies, but is also hilarious and likeable. She undertakes a personal journey to not only recover her memories, but her true strength. Larson takes girl power into the stratosphere. The film shows the value of courage without resorting to overt political correctness. The haters trashing Captain Marvel online have no clue what they’re talking about. Ignore the noise from the foolish, Captain Marvel does not beat you over the head with social justice themes.

The nineties setting is the gift that keeps on giving. The film has a field day poking fun of nineties technology, fashion, and music. One scene in particular is so ingenious, it summarizes the era in a mere minute of screen time. Boden and Fleck show real skill on the big budget stage. Credit again must go to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. Just like with Jon Watts for Spider-Man: Homecoming, he’s finding the perfect talent to bring these stories to life.

My only complaint with the film is the CGI onslaught in the finale. I felt like I was watching a video game as CGI Captain Marvel soars through space, blasting away. Regardless, Brie Larson is now the undisputed queen of the MCU. Captain Marvel has an awesome repeat viewing quality. I’ll be back in the theater this Friday to watch it again. There are two scenes during the credits that CANNOT be missed, especially as a prelude to Avengers: Endgame. Marvel Studios continue to dominate Hollywood with amazing movies. They also introduce, arguably, the greatest cat to ever grace the big screen. Goose is a helluva scene stealer.

Topics: Captain Marvel

Film critic, raconteur, praying for dolphins to grow thumbs and do better.